


just fall into place (and you'll fall into me)

by dearlyuta



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Alternate Universe - Rock Band, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Slow Burn, Weddings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-18
Updated: 2018-08-18
Packaged: 2019-06-29 03:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15721350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearlyuta/pseuds/dearlyuta
Summary: In which a florist whose heart was broken too many times meets a rockstar who doesn't believe in any of the love songs that he sings about.





	just fall into place (and you'll fall into me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [127ghouls](https://archiveofourown.org/users/127ghouls/gifts).



> finally finished this after a long time! didn't get to proofread it but i still hope you enjoy it.

Maybe Jaehyun shouldn’t have gotten drunk.

But after the recent heartbreak he had plus the fact that he even managed to sneak in a whole bottle of alcohol after the reception is well, too tempting not to do so. Besides, Jaehyun has already put himself in a lot of trouble so what’s another one to add, right?

Of course, the bottle of wine he attempted to smuggle out of the wedding wasn't that easy to deal with — the bride had caught him several times too many and each time, he received a glare and demanded to put back the bottle. But Jungwoo, the ever so kind friend and roommate that accompanied him in the reception, was able to slip out of the hotel while carrying the bottle within the confinements of his jacket. The thank you escapes Jaehyun's lips easily when he takes the bottle out of his hands, eyes bright as the eagerness to taste the sweet alcohol an ache that he wanted to get rid of immediately.

The cold night air is too inviting after the whole stifling event that happened inside the hotel, the suit leaving him breathless in a can’t-breathe-in-this-damn-thing kind of way. The coat comes off first before he stumbles down the stairs, head already spinning after a few sips taken from the bottle. The red wine slides down his tongue, enveloping his taste buds in a surprising state of euphoria before the liquid disappears down his throat. The burn is a nice contrast to the shivering wind but the dizzying headache is enough reason for him to take a seat at the side of the stairs, his body leaning against the rails as he closes his eyes to help soothe himself down.

Maybe he could get himself drunk enough to forget how his girlfriend of a year and a half had been cheating on him for the past four months. How he’s this near to actually breaking into tears, just like how he’s been doing for the past month, ever since he found out and how she just up and left him like that.

He actually entertains the idea, gaze fixated on the bottle until a pair of loud footsteps hit the concrete steps. He holds his breath, contemplating if he should turn around and greet the stranger but apparently, the other one had the same thoughts.

“I didn’t know that alcohol was allowed in the wedding. Pretty sure the bride would have gone crazy if there would be any person who takes even a small sip of that. But then again, what's a wedding without alcohol?" He snaps his head up, eyes immediately traveling straight to the intruder and holy fuck, he can’t believe it. He blinks for a few moments, trying to decipher the fact that the stranger is… handsome? No, no, handsome isn’t even the right word for it — it’s a complete understatement to describe the boy’s looks.

The boy's eyes are bright, clearly twinkling with some sort of mischief. What kind of mischief? Jaehyun doesn't know and he doesn't intend to find out in any way possible, wanting trouble to leave him even for a moment.

The next thing that catches his attention is the male’s pink hair, a bright distinction compared to the dark sky looming over them. Jaehyun can feel his throat going dry as he meets the other's fiery gaze, only for it soften immediately when the boy realizes how Jaehyun’s frightened look is practically written all over his face.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you like that.” The pink-haired boy rubs the nape of his neck, a blush creeping up his cheeks as he steps forward and Jaehyun finally finds his voice, hands shaking slightly as he drops the bottle carefully on the steps.

“It’s fine, I just wasn’t expecting anybody to be around since it’s—”

“Two in the morning? Yeah, I was about to go home but a certain boy caught my attention and for some reason, I felt compelled to approach him.” It takes Jaehyun a few seconds to realize that he’s the reason why he’s keeping this boy around and the thought alone is enough to turn his cheeks into a light pink tint.

“I-I’m sorry, you should go home! I was just going to finish this, um, so yeah.” He breaks his sentence off, hands gesturing wildly at the bottle in front of him and the boy’s tinkling laugh is enough for Jaehyun to feel his stomach turn over — in a good kind of way, of course.

“It’s all right, I feel a bit restless after all,” The male tilts his head towards Jaehyun, an eyebrow raising in inquisitiveness as he hides his hands in the pockets of his tight pants, “So, tell me, are you getting drunk to let out the stress or to temporarily erase the memories of a certain heartbreak?”

“Both,” Jaehyun exhales, finally feeling the heaviness that settled in his chest months ago leave him, their eyes meeting for a brief second and oh god, Jaehyun is more than sure that he’s knocked out breathless by the sincere, unwavering stare he receives from the other male. He’s not entirely sure how he’s feeling a rush of emotions in his veins as of now from a certain stranger (but he realizes that he doesn’t really mind).

“And why?” He didn’t expect the pink-haired male to speak but his tone was startlingly softer, gentler and Jaehyun denies that shivers that went down his spine as soon as he hears it. He clears his throat, his look stuck on the steps.

“My girlfriend cheated on me and well, going to a wedding isn’t entirely a decision I would make on my own after everything. But a job is a job, right?”

“What do you do, anyway?”

“So many questions you’re asking, I see.” Jaehyun chuckles, his fingers wrapping securely around the neck of the bottle before he takes a quick swig from the flask before he hands it over to the stranger.

“Here, do you want some?” The boy hesitates, eyebrows furrowed together as if he’s deep in his thoughts.

“No, it’s fine.”

“Oh, come on! We might end up spending the rest of the night here, getting to know each other so what’s a good conversation without a drink?”

“Ah, so you want to get to know me.” The mischievous smile that graces up on the pink-haired male’s lips made Jaehyun’s throat dry once more, cheeks burning (he blames it on the alcohol).

“Maybe.” Jaehyun challenges and the stranger arches a brow, seemingly interested at the sudden turn of the conversation before he lightly pushes the flask back to the brown-haired male, head tilting with a flirtatious smile playing on his mouth.

“I don’t think I should.”

“And why not?” Jaehyun takes another swift gulp from the bottle, as if his mouth is suddenly begging to get a taste of that sweet addiction once more. The stranger stays silent, for once, as if he’s contemplating his answer before that teasing smile surfaces back on his face.

“Because I might get drunk and forget how I met an attractive stranger tonight.”

To say that Jaehyun is stunned is an understatement. So this boy, a really gorgeous and breath-taking male at that, actually thinks that Jaehyun is… attractive.

Sure, he has received compliments before — how handsome he is and all that but receiving it straight from someone who looks like he just stepped out of a manga makes Jaehyun feel like he’s honoured to hear that.

He hides his nervousness with a loud, boisterous laugh as he puts down the flask, face turning red (either from the alcohol or the fact that this stranger is flirting with him, he doesn’t know). He cups his cheeks, trying to help soothe down his hammering heart as he avoids looking at the person beside him, mumbling incoherent words until he finally gathers his courage to pop the question hanging in the air between them.

“Are you flirting with me?” A cheeky grin appears on the other man’s lips, clearly pleased with the embarrassed expression that covers Jaehyun’s entire face.

“Maybe,” Jaehyun holds his breath, “or maybe I just have a really low alcohol tolerance.”

 _Ouch,_ his head is quick to come up with that thought as soon as the words left the stranger’s mouth. Jaehyun doesn’t even know why he’s disappointed — he just came from a heartbreak (hell, a line of heartbreaks actually) and he’s already upset over the fact that this certain boy that approached him at two in the morning might not be interested in him like that?

But despite it all, he doesn’t want to break the playful and flirty atmosphere created by them so he forces a smile to turn up on his lips, braving himself to lean close to the other. In his hazy state of mind, he doesn’t notice how the stranger’s cheeks colour themselves into pink, clearly tense and nervous.

“You have a low alcohol tolerance?” Jaehyun watches as the boy’s shoulders goes down in relief, almost as if he was expecting a worse question than that.

“Yeah, I can get tipsy on one drink.”

“Huh,” The brown-haired boy mumbles, eyes locked on the clothes worn by the stranger.

A white shirt with bright red and black letters but Jaehyun’s head is too dazed to jumble out the letters and fix themselves into a recognizable word. The black, tight pants he’s wearing hugs his legs nicely, as well as the black boots that seem a little bit too much for a normal, everyday kind of clothing. His gaze travels up to the piercings — two hanging from his ear and his lip ring is awfully nice to look at underneath the moonlight. He would be lying to himself if he says that he doesn't take a second look to check the other boy out.

Jaehyun is quick to turn his head away once he catches himself staring at the other’s legs a bit longer than necessary. He doesn’t know why this boy is wearing such clothes in this kind of weather and he almost decides to grab hold of his coat to lend it to the stranger.

Key word: _almost._

“You look like those… rock bands I see on television.” The pink-haired male only arches a brow at him in response and Jaehyun hastily steers back on the conversation.

“I mean, you’re dressed… like them…” He trails off awkwardly but the laugh that leaves the boy’s mouth is enough to save the horrible turn of the conversation.

“Perhaps, you didn’t know that I’m part of the band that performed a while ago?” Jaehyun scrunches his eyebrows, trying to take a step back and dig through the cloudy mess of memories in his head. He does remember a certain band coming in earlier in the reception and… pink hair… the pink hair…

_Nothing._

He can’t remember anything.

The boy, noticing how Jaehyun went silent, snickers as he brings his legs up to his chest and rests his cheek against his knees. He almost looks younger, with his hair falling over his eyes and the slight tug on his lips, imitating an impish smile.

“You don’t remember, do you?” Upon hearing his voice ring through the silent, still air, Jaehyun straightens his posture with his cheeks warming up once again upon realizing that the boy beside him is right.

"I-I don't." He trips over his own words, stumbling along his answer as he turns his head away, a hand still wrapped around the neck of the bottle as he takes a quick swig so he can blame the warmth that's traveling through his veins is caused by the drink.

"Cute."

"Cute?"

"Yeah, so cute." The stranger's voice drops into a whisper as he leans in to steal the bottle out of Jaehyun's hands, another bright laugh leaving his lips as he tilts his head upwards, downing the rest of the drink smoothly before he finally puts the flask down with a lopsided grin.

"I thought for a second that you were flirting with me." The words escape Jaehyun's mouth before he can even process his train of thoughts clearly. Goddamn, the alcohol is really doing wonders to him now.

The boy beside him reduces into a fit of chuckles, cheeks burning due to the alcoholic drink.

"Maybe I am."

"Oh, really?"

"Well, you are attractive and charming. It's hard not to flirt with you." There it was again — Jaehyun's cheeks colour once more at the sound of the compliment, head turning away as he clears his throat to shoo away the imaginary lump residing in his throat.

"I'm not entirely sure if you're telling the truth or you're just drunk already." Another laugh echoes through the night and god, Jaehyun can spend the rest of his life listening to that beautiful sound over and over again.

"First of all, I'm a very honest drunk. Second, I never lie at all, honey." A scoff, paired with his eyes rolling, is his reply to the stranger's words.

"Oh, we're calling each other pet names now? At least take me out on a date first."

"Gladly. But it's late, maybe next time." The pink-haired boy stands up and as if acting on instinct, Jaehyun rises his feet wobbly, head spinning due to the sudden action. He rests his body against the railing, hoping a gust of fresh air will help clear his head even for a little bit.

"How can you promise a next time? I don't even know your name." It was only supposed to be a soft whisper but drunk Jaehyun tends to be louder than necessary, drawing out a chuckle from the stranger beside him.

"I'll give you mine if you give me yours." The silence hangs heavy between them as he tries to sober himself up and well, hopefully remember every gorgeous feature plastered on the other's face. But his mind's hazy so it takes a little more time before he can realize the deal handed to him.

"Jaehyun. Jung Jaehyun." The way the other boy attempts to mouth his name, as if memorizing every letter is enough to make Jaehyun feel like his heart is going to race out of his chest.

"Damn, even your name sounds attractive." To say that Jaehyun is knocked out once again by his words is not a lie — his heart might as well shoot straight to the skies because it's beating uncontrollably against his ribcage, an irregular beat that makes Jaehyun wonder if he's ill.

"Do you ever run out of compliments?" His question is met with another mischievous smile as the other boy steps closer to him, eyes crinkling.

"No, I don't think I can stop. But you're always free to stop me by kissing me."

"My god," Jaehyun lets out a nervous laugh, cheeks turning into an even brighter shade of pink at the sound of his words, "you're—"

"Shameless? I know. Maybe this is why I don't like getting drunk." The sound of his boots hitting against the concrete steps and the smile lingering on the pink-haired boy's lips are the only things traveling in Jaehyun's mind. He can't even remember the reason why he got drunk at the first place — suddenly all his senses are heightened at the thought of the stranger.

"I'm Taeyong. Lee Taeyong." It might have been that he's too hooked on the sweet sound of the other's voice that he fails to capture the name in his head for the first time. Jaehyun blinks, head shaking a bit to clear the fog residing in his mind as he forces himself to remember every syllable of his name.

"Taeyong." The only response he receives is a hand reaching out to cup his cheek, almost in an affectionate manner as Taeyong leans in to leave a kiss on his cheek. A sign that he's confirming that he's as interested as Jaehyun is towards him.

"I'll see you soon. Please?" Jaehyun couldn't say no, especially when the adrenaline is rushing through his veins and the look that Taeyong is giving to him leaves his heart tumbling out of his chest and straight to his feet.

"Of course." _It's a promise,_ Jaehyun almost says out loud but chooses to keep the words hanging over the atmosphere between them. The smile that Taeyong shows him is enough for him to know that the boy got the message.

"Good. I'll see you soon, Jaehyun." With another breathtaking smile shot at his direction, Taeyong leaves him behind and if Jaehyun would look a little closer, he can see the little excited bounce in every step he takes.

Jaehyun goes home that night, dazed and drunk with the memories of a boy named Lee Taeyong burned at the back of his head.

-

"You what?" Jaehyun's head is spinning too fast, forcing himself to lay it against the cool surface of the front desk, relishing the cold rushing through his skin. It's a breezy Saturday morning but since last night (or more like just a few hours ago since Jaehyun fell into his bed at three in the morning and woke up at seven with a pounding headache), he can't focus on anything except for that pink-haired boy that keeps invading his trail of thoughts.

"He's in love." A voice comes out of the stock room, belonging to a boy with blond hair and a teasing smile gracing the corners of his lips. A box lands too loudly on the counter and Jaehyun groans, his headache only intensifying with every startlingly loud sound that echoes in the tiny air-conditioned flower shop.

"I'm not," He pauses, words drawing out into a yawn, "in love."

"Sure, whatever you say."

"I'm serious!" He exclaims, head raising from the counter but he decides at the last minute that he misses the cold surface, laying it back down with a soft wince, "I'm not over Chaeyeon yet."

Even if Jaehyun can't see Doyoung and Sicheng, he doesn't even have to spare them a glance to know that they're heaving an exasperated sigh, eyes rolling in annoyance. He keeps his head down, eyes fluttering shut for a moment to revel in the relieving coldness that's coming from that counter.

"Listen, she cheated on you. And honestly, I don't really like her."

"False. You hated her and announced it every five minutes the moment one of us mentions her name." Sicheng replies nonchalantly, taking out two bouquets of roses and sets them down near to Jaehyun. The smell coming from the flowers is a little too overwhelming so he ends up stepping away from the counter, choosing to sit down near the stock room to lay his head against the thin wall.

"Not my fault that she was a bitch. But whatever, at least Jaehyun broke up with her. Tell us about your new guy!" Doyoung is clearly excited, his eyes shining brightly. He's about to approach Jaehyun when the small bell rings as the door is pushed open. Taeil, the owner of the shop, steps in with a clipboard, checking through to see which flowers are going to be delivered today. He almost just slipped his way to the stock room but when he spares a glance at Jaehyun, he hurriedly puts away the clipboard with brows furrowed in worry and concern.

"You look like," Taeil hesitates and Jaehyun turns his head to gaze at him directly, "shit. Is the break-up taking a toll on you?"

"Hyung! He's in the middle of the telling us about his new guy." Doyoung pipes up, grabbing a stool to take a seat on it while Sicheng finishes up in arranging the other bouquets for delivery. That seems to pique Taeil's interest, settling to lean against the counter while Jaehyun groans in defeat, a hand rubbing his temples in an attempt to chase away the headache.

"His name is Lee Taeyong."

"Wow, his name sounds attractive." Taeil speaks up and Sicheng frowns deeply, eyebrows knitted together as if trying to remember something before he snaps his fingers with eyes wide.

"Lee Taeyong? Does he belong in Thornes?"

"... Thornes?"

"That rock band that goes around playing gigs in clubs nowadays. They're all good-looking," Sicheng clears his throat and his cheeks are flushed in embarrassment, "I only go to clubs to see them play."

"He did mention that he's in a rock band..." Trying to recall last night's memories hurts way more than Jaehyun expected it, eyes closing once more as the headache returns with more force this time.

"Maybe it's the same one? Did you get his number?" Taeil leans in and Jaehyun almost jumps out his seat, the realization coming down faster and crushing him almost instantly as his eyes widened.

"Fuck... I didn't..."

"You're such an idiot! Are you serious? You don't get hit on by hot rock stars at two in the morning every single day!" Doyoung slams his hands on the counter, not even hiding the frustration he's feeling as of the moment. Jaehyun is rendered speechless, a hand running down his face before he lets out a groan.

He's definitely screwed.

-

"So, you met a hot mysterious guy at the wedding, got drunk, and only kissed him on the cheek? Sounds fake." Yuta spins the drum sticks in his hands before Youngho appears, taking the sticks away from his hands before kicking him out of his seat in front of the drum set.

"Yeah, sounds fake. You kiss people right on the mouth whenever you get drunk. Then throw up on them." Ten is reading through the music sheets, making certain adjustments to their new song. Taeyong frowns as he fixes his lip ring before tending to his other piercings, jumping to his feet to grab his guitar resting against the nearby wall.

"Okay, maybe I'm slightly sober." Taeyong mumbles, cheeks flushed as the memory runs through his head again. He can still trace the features — shining eyes, the cutest dimples, and a smile as sweet as sugar. Perhaps he's a little... smitten over the sort of stranger-slash-acquaintance.

"But whatever, we won't see each other again. I mean, I didn't even grab his number."

"What? Are you serious?" Youngho pipes up, putting down the drum sticks as he stands from his chair to grab a bottle of water from the mini-fridge residing at the corner of their practice room.

"Yeah," Taeyong winces, the headache still present as he gestures for Youngho to throw him another bottle of water, catching it easily in his hands as he opens it, downing more than half of the water, "I even said that we should see each other soon. And by soon, never because my dumb ass forgot to ask for his number."

"Idiot." Yuta snickers, yelping when the almost empty bottle of water is thrown at him. Taeyong is not even apologetic that the cap of the bottle is not screwed completely so drops of water splashes on the other's sleeveless shirt.

"Fuck you."

"No thanks." Taeyong replies easily and even Ten can't hold back the laughter that bubbles from his lips, snickering way too loudly as Yuta whines, checking to see if he got splashed somewhere.

"What's his name, anyway?" Youngho taps the sticks on his drums, creating a steady and catchy beat before he halts as Ten shoots him a glare from across the room, quieting down. Taeyong's cheeks are flushed in embarrassment as the memory of the night resurfaces in his head.

"Jaehyun. Jung Jaehyun."

-

If there's anything that Jaehyun prides himself in  it's the fact that he calculates his life step by step. Graduate from high school with a good reputation in his batch, work through university with a full scholarship, and graduate with honors. He knows he can get a job at the firm where his uncle is working at so he's confident that he can be financially stable within a few years of working hard and thoroughly. He wants to meet the love of his life and marry them at the age of thirty.

In his head, he's all planned out with all his life goals lined up, waiting to be snatched up the moment he's ready. He's on his way of graduating from university but he got stuck working at a flower shop in order to afford his rent in his dorms and of course, his daily necessities. His parents are just a little too tough on him, putting his independence on his shoulders the moment he slipped out of high school already.

So, more or less, he's frustrated at how his life is turning out. Especially since he feels like his love life is sinking down the drain already. He may have gotten lucky in the looks department but unfortunately, it seems like all the luck just went straight to the other aspects of his life.

Frankly, he's doing quite terribly with dating — he may not get any sort of rejections whenever he confesses but most of the time, he doesn't really live out to the whole Disney prince image that his exes have pinned down on him. He came from a long line of heartbreaks and he may have already heard too many excuses from the break-up book.

He's on the verge of giving up entirely after his last girlfriend cheated on him, that is, until fate made him cross paths with a boy with shocking pink hair and sweet laughter that makes his heart flutter all too often whenever he remembers him.

Except he's a damn idiot for letting him go just like that and Jungwoo isn't afraid to let him know that every single day.

"Good morning, have you found your prince charming?"

"Hey hyung, you're an idiot."

"This is driving me insane. Just please look him up on facebook, twitter, or instagram! What if you just let go of the love of your life? Oh god, I'm getting stressed."

But despite all the constant annoying pestering from his friends to start searching for Taeyong, he finds himself extremely unmotivated. He just doesn't know if he should go and make the extra effort to go against what the universe has planned out for him. If the universe had planned him to get drunk and forget to snatch up Taeyong's number, never to meet that adorable pink-haired boy again then so be it. There must be a reason that their paths still haven't crossed again.

But of course, Jungwoo, the still so kind friend and roommate, has a different idea about this whole situation.

"Be my date." Those are the first words that ring in the air as Jungwoo excitedly steps out of his room, slamming his hands down on the table. Jaehyun nearly chokes on the toast he's eating due to the surprise, chewing it thoughtfully before swallowing it with a frown already drawn on his lips.

"What?"

"Be my date in this wedding that you're delivering flowers to." Jaehyun hums softly and Jungwoo's expression morphs into a hopeful one, eyes bright.

"No."

"Oh, come on!" He whines, settling down on the nearby seat before crossing his arms over his chest, lower lip jutted out to resemble a pout. Jaehyun finds it strangely cute but then again, his long-time friend has always been adorable, even if he denies it constantly.

"That's weird, you usually don't care if you have to go as a single guy in weddings," Jaehyun grabs his cup of coffee by the handle and takes a sip, grimacing upon realizing that the beverage has turned cold before he puts it down, "unless there's something you're hiding."

If there's anything that's painfully obvious about Jungwoo is that he can't lie to save his own ass. Even if he attempts to lie, the truth will run out almost ten seconds later. He fidgets in his seat, frown turning deeper before he surrenders with a deep sigh escaping his pair, gaze fixated on his friend.

"Yukhei is there. I don't want him to think I'm a single loser after we broke up."

"Yukhei? But it's been such a long time since you guys broke up."

"I know," Jungwoo runs a hand through his hair before his hand touches his own cheek, rubbing it with another sigh, "but I heard that he's doing great. He even got a girlfriend. So please be my date! Just for one night!"

Jungwoo clasps his hands together, the desperation is evident in his voice whilst Jaehyun stares at him with a scrutinizing gaze, mirroring the frown on his own face.

"Why don't you just ask Doyoung?"

"He would never agree."

"Ugh, Sicheng?"

"He's busy!" Jungwoo turns more and more desperate as each second passes by, his pout getting more evident as well.

"Please? I'll wash the dishes for a week!"

"Make it two weeks and you got yourself a deal." Jaehyun only flashes a grin when Jungwoo rolls his eyes, grunting in annoyance.

"Just please act like a good fake boyfriend."

"Don't worry, I will."

As long as Taeyong isn't there.

-

A year ago, drunk off his ass and sitting on the torn up couch with Jungwoo sitting with an unamused expression, Jaehyun had theorized that the universe hates his guts. Since Jaehyun has always been calculated, every life goal is kept neatly as possible so it wouldn't be too hard to achieve it. But every time he wants something and wishes for it, the opposite happens.

_Exhibit A: The time when Jaehyun wished to the stars that he can take the exam peacefully, with absolutely no sorts of trouble. The next day, his alarm started malfunctioning, he misplaced his uniform, and had to run through the mud under the pouring rain since he forgot his umbrella. He was late to the exam and got detention, causing a stain on his almost perfect attendance sheet._

_Exhibit B: The time when Jaehyun wanted to confess to one of his exes. He prepared balloons, flowers, chocolates — a perfect evening to win a girl's heart. But instead, he got popped balloons, decaying flowers, and the chocolates were accidentally eaten by one of his friends. Sure, he didn't get a rejection but standing in front of her house at one in the morning, attempting to sing her favorite song as an alternative to the failed confession was certainly not appreciated by his ex's parents._

He had fallen asleep back then, not able to provide another proof that the universe hates him.

But in this wedding, maybe he'll be able to use it as a proof.

"Wow, they really believed us to be a couple." Jungwoo leans in and whisper once the bride and groom leaves to greet the other guests in the reception. Jaehyun slips on a smug smile before he reaches down to hold Jungwoo's hand tightly, proudly showing their intertwined hands to his once again unamused roommate.

"See? I can be a good fake boyfriend."

"Yeah, too good. Hope I won't fall for your cheesy act by the end of the night." Jaehyun rolls his eyes before he gazes around the crowd to see if there's anyone they recognize before he drops Jungwoo's hand with a soft sigh, shoulders dropping in relief.

"Hey, I'm going to grab a drink from the bar. Want me to grab one for you?"

"Sure, anything would be fine."

Jaehyun pulls away and slips easily through the crowd, greeting the older people in a polite tone m, even if he's sure that he hasn't seen any of these people outside this wedding. He finally makes his way to the bar and glances around to see if there's anyone else hanging around.

"Hey, two scotches please. Thanks."

"What's a wedding without alcohol, right?" The familiar voice tat resounds from behind him is the reason why Jaehyun stiffens up, eyes wide as his hands barely catches the two glasses that are handed to him. The bartender gives him a glare before putting them down on the counter, just in case Jaehyun misses again and accidentally knocks them to the floor.

He turns around too fast that he almost got dizzy. At first, he doesn't recognize the hair — it was black and the last time that Jaehyun saw him, he still had shockingly pink hair that stood out from the rest. He recognizes him once he gazes at his wide, brown eyes and he can't deny that the blush rushes to his cheeks almost instantly.

"Taeyong?" God, he didn't know that he actually missed saying that name. He avoided the Taeyong topic within his circle of friends, growing uncomfortable every time any of them brings up the supposedly still mysterious boy so he just resorted to shutting his mouth permanently, the name never leaving the tip of his tongue ever again.

"Hey, Jaehyun. It's weird that we met again in a wedding. Must be fate, huh?" 

"Yeah. It's like the universe conspired us to be together like this!" My god, that's so fucking lame is the only thought that runs through Jaehyun's head and he knows he sounds a little creepy for saying that. But with the way Taeyong throws his head back and lets that sweet, melodious laugh leaves his lips, Jaehyun feels entirely better now.

"You're still so cute." Jaehyun really can't hold himself back from smiling so, so widely with the way Taeyong is now gazing at him with the same smile that he gave to Jaehyun the first night they met. He's really doing wonders to Jaehyun's poor heart.

"Who's the drink for though? Don't tell me that they're for you only."

"Of course not! The last time I got drunk at a wedding, it didn't end well for me."

"Really?" Taeyong's brow arches in interest before a flirtatious smile takes its place on his lips, "but I found you absolutely adorable tripping over your words and the way you blushed when I kissed your cheek."

The memory of that night comes tumbling back to Jaehyun, as clear as day. Even through his dazed and drunk state before, he still felt an awful lot of feelings for an almost stranger-slash-acquaintance.

"I know," Jaehyun heaves a sigh as he grabs hold of the two glasses, "it's just that I didn't get your num—"

"Jaehyun hyung! Where are you?" Taeyong furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he turns around, the two of them easily spotting a brown-haired male eagerly making his way past the  crowd of guests surrounding the bar. Jaehyun's cheeks are flushed, a pretty red tint across his face as Jungwoo walks up to him with wide eyes, alarmed.

"Where have you— oh! Hi!" As if on cue, Jungwoo links his arms with Jaehyun's, head resting on the other's shoulder to appear all lovey-dovey with a convincing sweet smile to top their show off. Taeyong is baffled, a brow arching as he switches his gaze from Jungwoo to Jaehyun, who looks deeply embarrassed and shocked by the sudden turn of events.

"I didn't know that you have a boyfriend, Jaehyun." Taeyong allows one of the corners of his lips to curl upwards, his pair resembling a half-smile as he pockets his hands. Jaehyun opens his mouth, the explanation ready to fall from the tip of his tongue but of course, Jungwoo is quick to defeat him to it.

"Yes! We've been dating for a year already!" Jaehyun wants to cry out loud in pure embarrassment and fear as Taeyong uneasily shifts from one foot to another, his expression switching into a confused one as he keeps his gaze on the silent one between the three of them.

"Oh... that's interesting. Well, I'll see you around." Taeyong grabs his own drink from the bar, shooting a friendly grin at the two of them before he turns on his heel, leaving a relieved Jungwoo and a frightened Jaehyun behind.

"Oh god, that was close. Anyway, Yukhei was just around the cor—"

"That was Taeyong."

"What?" Jungwoo isn't even annoyed that Jaehyun cut off his rambling, gaze fixated on the black-haired boy that's headed for the garden outside.

"That was Taeyong. Lee Taeyong." Jaehyun repeats, throat going dry as he watches helplessly that (possibly but most likely not) the love of his life just slip out of the door. The opportunity is right there, to grab the boy's number but once again, he became idiotic.

"What?! You should have told me!" Jungwoo's voice switches to an urgency, panicking as he pulls away from Jaehyun, nudging him towards the direction to the garden outside. He almost leaves, feet already aching to step away but a familiar voice pops in, cutting through their conversation.

"Jungwoo?" Both Jaehyun and Jungwoo whipped around, turning to the intruder. A tall man stands before them, brown hair styled up whilst looking dashing in a suit.

"Yukhei, hey." Jungwoo's voice turns soft and Jaehyun feels compelled to stay — this is the reason why he even agreed to go as Jungwoo's date to the wedding, even if he barely knows the people attending. He sticks himself to Jungwoo's side, daring himself to wrap an arm around the other's waist to keep close and appear more like a couple.

Yukhei blinks, eyes directed to the way Jaehyun is stuck to Jungwoo like glue, almost acting like a protective boyfriend. But Jungwoo has other plans.

Again.

"Go on and chase after Taeyong." Jungwoo's tone of voice drops into a whisper, breaking away from Jaehyun's hold around him. Jaehyun opens his mouth, ready to argue back that he has to stay, for his friend but the younger boy only shakes his head with a reassuring smile.

"I can handle myself, I promise. Now, go." Jungwoo pushes him in the direction that Taeyong took off. Jaehyun hesitates this time, feet stilling for a moment but with the way Yukhei is glancing at Jungwoo expectantly (and still looking smitten for some reason but Jaehyun doesn't comment on it), he decides that maybe Jungwoo can handle himself this time. The deal between them might be broken but all Jaehyun cares is running after Taeyong right now.

He quietly excuses himself before his feet takes off, slipping past the crowd of guests again as he makes his way to the doorway, heart beating all too wildly against his rib cage. His emotions might be a tangled mess right now but he can't deny that he's all too excited and nervous at the same time.

Before he knows it, the white doors come into view and pushes them, shutting them behind him as the grass meets his shoes. Despite the fact that he's wrapped up in a suit, he's still a bit cold due to the passing wind but not too cold that he wishes for the warmth inside the reception area again.

Jaehyun doesn't even need to look far, he can spot Taeyong's black hair amidst all breathtaking flowers and the fairy lights that were set up in the tiny garden.

"I don't have a boyfriend!" Jaehyun nearly shouts, regretting it almost instantly when Taeyong whips around in shock, eyes wide and cheeks painted in a pretty red tint to show off his blush.

"That's really the first thing you say to me?" Taeyong throws his head back again, that adorable laugh escaping his lips and for once, Jaehyun feels entirely content and elated to hear that beautiful sound.

"I-I just wanted to clear that up," Jaehyun stutters, the blush is fairly visible on his cheeks as well ad he approaches the other man, "and I'm really, really interested in you."

Taeyong can't hold back himself from smiling widely at the confession, the corners of his eyes crinkling up.

"Is that so?"

"I swear! Jungwoo is just a roommate and a friend in need of a fake boyfriend to convince his ex that he's not such a lame, single loser." Jaehyun takes another step and he halts, marvelling over the way Taeyong looks heavenly underneath the moonlight and the fairy lights hanging over them.

"Hey, don't worry. You don't have to explain — I know that you guys were lying. Also, I don't think you're the type of guy who will hit on somebody else while in a relationship." Taeyong says as a matter-of-fact before he reaches out, hands stilling before he allows himself to curl his fingers around Jaehyun's jacket to tug him closer with another gorgeous smile.

Jaehyun is intoxicated — his mind is just filled with Taeyong, Taeyong, Taeyong and he simply can't believe the amount of emotions rushing through his veins as of the moment.

"You know, I never got to know what kind of job you have," Taeyong clears his throat before flashing a sheepish smile at the boy in front of him, "my friends tried to guess what kind of job you have."

"Really?" The blush goes deeper on Jaehyun's cheeks, mostly because Taeyong just gave away the idea that he talked about him to his friends. He wonders how Taeyong described him during that night — suit wrinkled up while drunk off his ass? Mumbling incoherent words about how heartbroken he is?

"They guessed that you're either a lawyer that gets too emotional whenever you drink or you're a guy from Disneyland, dressed up as a prince." Jaehyun laughs at the sheer absurdity of the guesses while Taeyong juts out his lower lip to form a pout.

"Why are you laughing?"

"A prince? Really? A prince drunk off his ass?"

"You do look like a Disney prince. Like you're everyone's first love." Jaehyun stops at that as the heat returns to his face, making him feel hot despite the cold weather surrounding them.

"Sorry to burst your bubble but I'm actually a student studying to be a lawyer. But right now, I'm a florist. I actually delivered all these flowers a while ago." Jaehyun gestures to the flowers carefully laced around the pole, where the fairy lights are hanging so prettily.

"A future lawyer and a florist? I didn't expect that." Taeyong lets go of the other's jacket, turning around to gaze up at the flowers arranged so beautifully, as well as the petals that are sitting on the grass, forming a pathway through the garden.

"So you picked out all the flowers?"

"Not really. I did help decide what kind of flowers to pick. She actually had a great eye for what kind of flowers to pick out for her bouquet. The meaning is actually lovely."

"Really? What do they mean?" Jaehyun hesitates — he isn't entirely sure if Taeyong would want to hear him excitedly ramble on about what flowers mean. But Taeyong is staring at him with wide, bright eyes and he just can't bring himself to say no to such a pretty face like his.

"She picked out three flowers," Jaehyun starts off and feels himself soften up as Taeyong stares up at him with an innocent gaze. A really different look, compared to almost a month ago, when he was drunk and Taeyong was still a stranger with a flirtatious smile.

"Gardenia means purity, joy, deep, and old-fashioned love. Casa blanca lilies, on the other hand, means class, beauty, and style. And peonies mean romance, prosperity, and bashfulness." Jaehyun is a blushing mess now, not wanting to seem boring for knowing too much about the language of flowers (he promptly blames it on Doyoung for appealing to his inner romantic and coaxing him to learn about flowers).

"Wow, I'm not even a romantic and I don't really like looking at flowers that much but you make me feel like I should go and try designing a bouquet too. It just sounds really nice." Taeyong's eyes are shining so bright under the star-drunk night skies and it doesn't take Jaehyun a second thought to realize how truly beautiful Taeyong is, like this. Flirty Taeyong might make him blush and stutter but soft and gentle Taeyong makes his heart swell and drop to his feet any second now.

"Hey, I really wanted to ask you something," Jaehyun hurriedly makes a wish to the stars, hoping that universe will give him just this one chance whilst Taeyong stares at him in inquisitiveness and curiosity.

"What is it?"

"Can I have your number?" It takes a second but Taeyong laughs once more and Jaehyun feels his heart swell even more because he just adores the other boy way too much.

"Sure, give me your phone." In a flash, they exchange phones to input their numbers in before they return it to each other, shy smiles curled on the corners of their lips. Taeyong checks his phone and a frown replaces his smile upon seeing the time displayed on his lockscreen.

"It's getting late. Sorry, I need to take off now since we have so many gigs tomorrow so I'll have to practice until late at night." Taeyong heaves a disappointed sigh and Jaehyun attempts not to appear too, well, clingy. It's their second meeting, after all — he doesn't want to scare him away.

"Okay, wait," Jaehyun steps away, approaching a bush and gathers up a small bunch of Forget-Me-Nots stuck on it before handing it to the other male, "I hope you forget me not."

God, that really was lame. Jaehyun scolds himself mentally but even then, Taeyong elicits a chuckle, taking the tiny flowers and places them neatly on the pocket of his own suit.

"I won't forget you, I promise. I'll see you soon." Taeyong still looks at him with that hopeful glint in his eyes before he steps forward, leaning in to drop a very soft kiss on one of Jaehyun's reddened cheek. He pulls away and Jaehyun can still hear the sound of his heart beating against his chest and my god, he can't believe he's really going crazy for this boy.

"I'll see you soon, Taeyong."

He watches the other smile at him brightly — even brighter than the moon and stars lighting up the night sky before Taeyong leaves, walking out of the hotel and inevitably taking Jaehyun's heart with him.

It's after two shots of scotch while watching the couples do a slow dance on the dance floor that he realizes that he isn't dizzy from the alcohol drinks but drunk on pure happiness and he doesn't mind at all that Taeyong took his heart.

-

In all honesty, Jaehyun already has the thought that maybe the universe doesn't hate his guts entirely. He wished to the stars that fateful night that maybe they'll grant his desire to get the other's phone number.

But he soon learns that every wish granted is that there's a price to pay.

He heaves a deep sigh, eyes tired as he stares at the amount of messages he shot the moment he got Taeyong's number. He barely gets a reply — almost a single reply for every five messages that he sends.

He tries to understand — Taeyong is a rising rock star after all and he's been touring a lot nowadays, booked with numerous gigs from different places but mostly clubs. Of course, Taeyong can't spend every second of his day, staring at his phone to reply.

Most of his text messages are composed of _good morning, have you eaten, gonna practice ttyl, are you sleeping? good night!_

Their phone calls aren't that better either. It's usually Jaehyun who calls Taeyong up, whenever he's free from work or his studies but his call goes to voicemail all too often. When he does strike lucky (one answered call in every six missed calls), it's just a short conversation because Taeyong needs to practice or he has to go up to stage soon.

He hurriedly sits up from his bed, fingers grabbing his phone as he opens it up. He does stop himself from hitting the call button, a little anxious and afraid that it might go straight to voicemail once more. Also, he doesn't want to seem like a clingy loser that doesn't have a life to tend to.

He takes the risk though, maybe this time it would go through and Taeyong will answer it.

For some sort of miracle, his call did go through and Taeyong's sweet voice answers him easily.

"Hey Jae! What are you doing?"

"Thinking about you." He blurts out almost immediately, regretting it right after the words left his lips. Thankfully, Taeyong just laughs it off and Jaehyun wants to imagine that pretty blush across the other's cheeks.

"Really? I'm doing the same right now." The flirty response reduces Jaehyun into a blushing and stuttering mess.

"Hey, uh, are you free sometime this week?" Jaehyun bites down on his lower lip, his anxiety level is hitting the roof as he listens to Taeyong's thoughtful hum over the phone.

"I think so. Just need to wrap up one more gig by today. Why, you want to go on a date?" The question is thrown in so casually that Jaehyun is taken aback by it but he's eternally grateful that he's not the only one standing on the same page as of the moment.

"Yeah, that'd be great. How about we grab some dinner somewhere?"

"Sure, there's a restaurant just nearby that seems to be good. My other friends turned down my invitation so maybe we can go?"

_Oh, he's a second choice._

He swallows thickly, the uncomfortable mess of tangled emotions settling at the bottom of his stomach. But he has no right to feel like this — they only met twice, for god's sake.

"Of course, I'd love that." The excited squeal that comes from the other end makes Jaehyun feel like he just made the greatest decision of his life.

"Great! I'll text you where the restaurant is. We can go tomorrow!" Jaehyun softens up and even if Taeyong can't see him right now, he allows a smile to curl up on his lips.

"Okay."

-

The date with Taeyong lasted for approximately two hours and seventeen minutes. And in that entire time span of their supposed date, Taeyong was nowhere to be seen.

Jaehyun is almost convinced that he went to the wrong restaurant, that maybe Taeyong gave him the wrong address, that maybe Taeyong changed the time of their meeting and he wasn't informed.

Again, keyword: _almost._

He knows that Taeyong, whether intentionally or unintentionally, skipped and ditched him with a sad, almost empty glass of water that the waiter kept refilling every twenty minutes, constantly asking if he's ready to order. He gets kicked out of the restaurant because they were nearing their closing time and it looks like your date isn't coming anyway.

Jaehyun only swallows down his disappointment and sadness before standing up from the chair, stepping out to feel the cold, chilly wind wrap him up in a comforting embrace.

He's only taken a few steps away from the restaurant when his phone beeps with a text message. He slides open the message and sees the familiar name in the contact, the same name that still makes his heart ache.

_Taeyong: hey, i'm so sorry i didn't get to go to our date! :(_

Another one comes rushing in.

_Taeyong: we got booked in with a gig just now and we couldn't say no since the owner of the club is a friend of ours._

Another one.

_Taeyong: i promise i'll take you out soon! it's my treat, i swear._

Then another one.

_Taeyong: i'm really, really sorry, jae. i'll call you tomorrow, okay?_

(Jaehyun wanted to be petty so he ignored the messages sent. But the next morning, the moment he saw Taeyong's name light up on his phone, he's quick to answer it.

And he's quick to melt at the sound of Taeyong's beautiful voice too.

Damn him and his heart.)

-

He's never been the type to go clubbing — sure, he does take a liking in partying but spending time in a crowded club with bass boosted songs echoing from the speakers, strangers hitting on him and attempting to kiss him isn't such an ideal situation for him to relax and unwind.

But he can't just stay still anymore. It's been exactly two weeks since he last saw Taeyong and he's too jumpy since that moment, wanting to get another glimpse of the boy that possibly stole his heart permanently.

"Hey Sicheng," Jaehyun's voice is a hushed whisper, putting down a box on the counter. Sicheng furrows his eyebrows, flipping through the magazine before he gently puts it down, running a hand through his hair and pats it down afterwards to fix up his mess hair.

"What is it?" Jaehyun gnaws on his lower lip. If he's being honest, he's a little embarrassed to ask where will the Thornes play at — he's vaguely aware that Sicheng follows their schedule and makes sure to never miss a spectacular show from them. He shifts from one foot to another, tugging on his own collar before clasping his hands together, laying them on the counter.

"Listen, you like the Thornes, right?"

"Just say that you miss Taeyong and you want to see him." Sicheng deadpans and Jaehyun splutters, gripping the edge of the front counter with his hands, knuckles turning white due to the tight hold.

"I-I don't mean—"

"You've been whining to Doyoung hyung and Taeil hyung nowadays how much you miss him. Don't act so oblivious about it." Jaehyun finally resigns to letting out a sign of defeat, holding out his hands in surrender. Sicheng shoots him a smug smile before sliding the magazine away, propping his arm on the wooden table and lays his chin on his open palm.

"Just please take me to their next show?" It takes a moment of Sicheng letting his gaze travel from the top of his head to his toes before he nods his head once.

"Fine. You do look like you need to loosen up a bit. You look like shit."

"Wow, thanks." Jaehyun replies, the edge of his voice is clearly dripping with sarcasm. Sicheng only responds with a cheeky grin on his lips, doing a little salute at him.

"No problem, sir."

-

Jaehyun is largely uncomfortable in his tight pants and white shirt thrown on him, with a leather jacket to finish off his look. Sicheng had shot him an incredulous look when he went to pick Jaehyun up a moment ago but Jaehyun does win a smile of approval from the other boy.

He tries not to appear amazed and baffled when Sicheng simply weaves through the line of people outside of the club, showing his face to the bouncers whilst tugging on Jaehyun's jacket to pull him close to him. They're immediately permitted to enter the club and Sicheng eagerly slips inside with Jaehyun trailing behind with his jaw dropped in pure surprise.

"H-How—"

"I'm a regular in this club so they're used to just letting me inside." Sicheng gives him a nonchalant shrug before hurriedly urging him towards the bar, grabbing two beers from the bartender, handing one of them to Jaehyun.

"They'll perform soon, I think. It's almost 9:45 PM..." Jaehyun didn't even realize that Sicheng's words trail off as they keep their gaze on the stage set out in front of the crowd. A flash of red hair appears and Jaehyun looks taken aback, eyes wide as he watches Taeyong takes his place on the stage, together with three others.

Taeyong dyed his hair again — it really went from black to red and Jaehyun would be lying if he said that he doesn't find him even more attractive than the usual. Jaehyun watches Taeyong throw his head back, laughing over something that his band mate had said to him. Once again, he would be lying if he said that he didn't feel his stomach churn uncomfortably with the jealousy running through his veins.

"Come on! It gets a little crowded nowadays so we need to get to the front." Sicheng's fingers find themselves around Jaehyun's wrist, ready to tug him through the sea of people in front of them but he digs his heels on the ground, eyes darting from the stage to Sicheng's face.

"I-I think I'll be fine here," Jaehyun is suddenly afraid — what if Taeyong doesn't want him around? Maybe that's the reason why they barely get to talk and why Taeyong ditched him so effortlessly.

"You're so fucking dumb. Come on." Sicheng, despite the obvious protest coming from Jaehyun, pulls him through, weaving through each person whilst bumping into them in more painful ways than one. He wanted to shut his eyes and flee but the stage is coming nearer with every step and... _oh._

Taeyong is staring at them and his eyes widen in obvious surprise once he realizes that it's Jaehyun who really came to watch him perform. Jaehyun can't find any other choice and Taeyong is staring at him so he opts to raise his hand and meekly wave at him. Under all the lights, the pretty red blush across Taeyong's cheeks stands out and he can't even will it away. With his band mate giving him a pat on his shoulder, Taeyong snaps out from his thoughts and impromptu staring contest with Jaehyun, fingers already in place to play the guitar.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! We've got a special guest who's ready to rock your world — the Thornes!" A man standing beside the stage announces before hurriedly moving down the steps at the side while their drummer starts up the beats.

Jaehyun quickly learns that Taeyong transforms into a whole new person when he's holding that guitar. Any traces of flirty and soft Taeyong is stored away and his intense gazes and fleeting smirks makes Jaehyun feel a whole lot of emotions and though they're a tangled mess, he's more than sure that he's knocked breathless by the band's talent to take the crowd through a hype with all their fast-paced songs.

As the last few beats come through their last song, the crowd erupts into a wild applause and screams. The band greets them goodbye and the crowd dissipates after a few moments. Taeyong takes it as the opportunity to put down his guitar and run down the steps located at the side of the stage, making his way to Jaehyun. He jumps straight into the other's arms, laughing gleefully as he lands another very light and fleeting kiss on Jaehyun's cheek before breaking the embrace. Jaehyun, of course, turns into a blushing and stuttering mess.

"I-I— You— You were great out there." Jaehyun finishes off his statement lamely but the smile that graces Taeyong's lips makes him really week at the knees.

"It's such a nice surprise to see you here." The sincerity laced in Taeyong's voice has landed a arrow straight to Jaehyun's love-stricken heart. He can't believe that Taeyong has such an effect on him like this.

Their little moment is broken by someone clearing their throat and someone else snickering at the scene in front of them. Jaehyun gazes at Sicheng, who looks at him with wide eyes while another boy, who seems to be the one that was talking to Taeyong a while ago, walks in with a cheeky smile plastered on his face.

"Hey, looks like you found your sweet lover boy, Tae."

"Shut up, Yuta." Yuta, as how Taeyong addresses him, simply bursts out into a fit of chuckles before approaching the pair with a friendly smile, holding out a hand.

"Nice to meet you. Jaehyun, isn't it? The name is Yuta." Seeing how Jaehyun hesitated in holding his hand, he once again lets out a laugh, eyes crinkling up.

"I don't bite, don't worry." Jaehyun reaches out to shake his hand for a second before dropping it, automatically sticking himself back to Taeyong's side as if he's attempting to look like a protective boyfriend. Yuta raises his eyebrows before a knowing smile, turning to Sicheng with a flirtatious smirk curling on the corners of his lips.

"Hey, I'm Yuta and before you speak, let me buy you a drink." Yuta's hand wraps itself around Sicheng's wrist, effectively dragging the other boy towards the bar and leaving the pair behind. Sicheng is quick to turn around and shout I'll text you later! over the crowd before he lets Yuta take him away.

Jaehyun is silent — despite the fact that he's been dying to talk to the other boy for two weeks now, he's rendered speechless by how beautiful Taeyong looks.

"Hey, did you have dinner already?" Taeyong easily finds his way to holding Jaehyun's hand in his, fingers intertwining before he gives it a small squeeze. Jaehyun can feel his own heart jump at the sudden physical contact but still, he's undeniably happy.

"Not yet. Want to get out of here and grab some fast food?" Taeyong shrugs and flashes a smile at the taller male.

"I'm fine with anything, as long as we're together."

(Jaehyun turns into a flustered mess again, face too hot and tripping over his words but just like always, Taeyong laughs and pulls him out of the club.)

-

If there's anything that Jaehyun loves more than a laughing Taeyong, it's a can't-stop-blushing-and-stuttering Taeyong. It doesn't take all too long for Jaehyun to realize that every time he manages to shoot a much more flirty remark in response to Taeyong's sweet compliment, he gets all flustered. Jaehyun has lost count how many times Taeyong turned as red as his hair.

"Oh look," Jaehyun points out some lilacs neatly placed on the sidewalk. They are wrapped up in a bouquet, the flowers still looking fresh as if someone just accidentally dropped them.

"I wonder why someone would leave such pretty flowers behind."

"They must have really liked that person." Jaehyun murmurs, fingers shifting through the bouquet before he holds it out underneath the moonlight. The lilacs appear soft and gentle, almost giving off a breezy and warm feeling, a welcoming contrast to the cold night.

"Purple lilacs mean love's first emotions," He turns to Taeyong, who's sporting a confused look when Jaehyun gently presses it down in his palms, "for you."

"Huh? You're giving me second-hand flowers?" Taeyong emits a laugh but even then, the blush is evident on his cheeks as he willingly takes the bouquet, snuggling close to Jaehyun's side.

"You're so cute when you're blushing!" It's the fifth time that Jaehyun has brought it up but still, it has the same effect on Taeyong. His cheeks are flushed with embarrassment and he sticks his tongue out, holding the bag of fries and the bouquet close to his chest.

"Shut up." Taeyong shoots back but there's no bite in his voice so Jaehyun only curves his lips upwards into a sickeningly sweet smile, reaching out his arm to let Taeyong snuggle up. Taeyong ignores him but soon, they find themselves cuddled up against each other whilst feeding each other with some fries that they take out of their own respective brown bags, chuckling.

"I don't usually eat greasy food like this but lately, I've been so stressed and I don't want to indulge myself in chocolate heaven." Taeyong heaves a deep sigh, shoulders dropping as they walk along the sidewalk. Jaehyun has his arm wrapped securely around Taeyong's thin waist and his heart won't stop hammering against his chest.

"Really? Is chocolate your stress reliever?"

"Unfortunately," Jaehyun doesn't even have to face the other boy to know that he's pouting, "my friends are annoyed because I stash up too many chocolate bars in my bag."

"That's really cute though. Makes me want to spoil you with chocolate." Jaehyun replies nonchalantly but that seems to bring Taeyong's spirits up.

"Yes please! I haven't eaten chocolates for weeks now. It's torture." Taeyong fishes out the last few fries from his bag before taking Jaehyun's empty bag as well and throwing it in a nearby trash can, clinging tightly to Jaehyun's torso. To any other person, they can be easily mistaken as a couple, considering how affectionate they are to each other.

Jaehyun gently pats Taeyong's hair and the other only lays his head on his shoulder, arms falling away from his torso but soon, the brown-haired boy finds warmth traveling through his hand when Taeyong reaches out to hold it. Jaehyun can't help but smile to himself, raising their intertwined fingers and presses a kiss on the other's knuckles.

Once more, Taeyong blushes madly at the sweet gesture, directing Jaehyun's attention away by pointing out the nearby park.

"Can we go there?" Taeyong is eager, looking more and more like an adorable child that is excited to go and play with his toys. Jaehyun tries not to appear that he's greatly affected by the other male's cuteness.

"Well, why not?" Jaehyun doesn't even realize it but he soon finds himself struggling to pick up his pace as Taeyong runs to the empty park. Taeyong makes his way to the playground and makes his way to the swing set, settling down on one of the empty swings before Jaehyun steps in to take the other one.

For the first time since the start of their impromptu date, it's silent between them. Not the awkward kind nor the kind where it suffocates you as you try to find the words to fill in the gaps but the comfortable one.

Jaehyun takes his time in silently admiring Taeyong — gaze fixated on the red-haired boy sitting right beside him. It may have taken some time for him to realize but the glitter on Taeyong's eyelids and down on the side of his face makes him glow like some sort of ethereal being. The moonlight is just enough light that shines on Taeyong's face and Jaehyun is knocked out breathless again when he finds traces of the soft Taeyong underneath all the tough exterior. His gaze, despite not covered by his bangs due to the hair clips slipped at the side, is so much softer and gentler.

"I'm sorry," Taeyong breaks the silence carefully, sadness dripping from the edge of his tone, "you know, for ditching you during our first date."

Jaehyun only furrows his eyebrows in confusion, remembering that Taeyong already slid in a sincere apology over text and over the phone call they had the next morning after their date.

"It's fine, I know you're crazy busy nowadays. I know your career and music means so much to you." Jaehyun's voice is smooth, that part of him that used to stutter in every word that he speaks to Taeyong is gone. Well, maybe for now.

Taeyong looks absolutely relieved, as if a huge burden was lifted off his shoulders. He holds onto  the chains and gently twists around in the swing, a blissful smile playing on his pair. Jaehyun is about to crash back into admiring Taeyong's heavenly beauty when he's stopped short the moment he realizes Taeyong is staring at him with an unreadable look on his face.

"Is... everything okay?" Jaehyun treads lightly, a little afraid that he might accidentally say the wrong thing and get Taeyong pissed off.

"You know," Taeyong starts off after a moment, eyes steady on his own shoes instead as he bows his head, "I don't actually believe in things like fate and destiny."

 _Oh,_ Jaehyun thinks as he attempts to keep his gaze on the other, I must have looked like a fucking idiot when I told him that the universe conspired us to be together.

"I just... don't like the idea that we have free will then suddenly, it turns out, your whole life is destined to do this and that until you die. It sucks." Taeyong continues to speak, finally raising his gaze to look at the other with one of the corners of his lips curled upwards to resemble a half-smile.

"But... I feel like there's something between us since the night we met. I feel like fate, as much as I hate to admit that, really made us meet each other. Even though you were a drunk and sobbing mess before." Taeyong throws in the last sentence with a soft titter, eyes crinkling and Jaehyun just can't find it in himself to even throw an insult back.

"So, in conclusion, did I make you believe in destiny and fate now?" Jaehyun's voice is clearly teasing but still, underlying it is a whole tangled emotions of hope and happiness.

"Not exactly," Taeyong spares him a glance and finally flashes a wide smile at the other boy, "I'm almost there though."

An unreadable emotion passes through Taeyong's eyes, just for a split second, but Jaehyun just can't let go of it just yet.

"I feel like you're not telling me something." Jaehyun knows that he hit the exact spot when Taeyong pursues his lips and heaves a sigh afterwards, as if contemplating his own words.

"I... never been in a serious relationship before. I liked people, dated them for a bit then broke up. Just flings, you know?" Taeyong fiddles with his hands, looking more like a child who's afraid to get scolded and be confronted by his wrongdoings. Jaehyun can only find himself frowning slightly.

"Everything that I feel for you right now is completely new. I never felt it with someone else so I don't want you to just be a person that I briefly dated then threw away the moment I get bored." Jaehyun is rendered speechless by Taeyong's soft-spoken words — he absolutely had no idea that that is how the other boy felt about him.

"That's fine, honestly—"

"Jae, I'm serious," Taeyong gazes at him as he worries his bottom lip between his teeth, a sigh easily leaving his pair almost immediately, "I used to disappear and appear whenever I wished to. But... I want to change that. You make me want to change for the better." Taeyong can't even meet his eyes right now but still, he keeps them still on his facial features, gathering up the remains of his courage.

"It might be bothersome for you but it's worth a try so, is it okay if we take it slow right now?" The way the red-haired boy phrases the words and says it with a tone so similar to shyness and hopefulness makes Jaehyun want to say yes immediately.

And that's exactly what he did.

He stands from the swing, watching it swing slightly due to the wind before he takes a tentative step towards Taeyong, holding out his hand. Taeyong hesitates but he moves forward to grip his hand tightly, as if he's afraid that Jaehyun will pull away, before he jumps to his feet.

"That's absolutely fine with me. I'll do anything for you." The smile that Taeyong shows him that night makes him feel like he made the best decision of the night.

(Their date lasted for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes, sealing their night with Jaehyun walking Taeyong home and a sweet kiss received on his cheek.)

-

Jaehyun quickly learns that, well, Taeyong is a really shitty boyfriend.

Actually, he's not extremely bad that he would drive Jaehyun away but he can't deny that he's getting insane over the mixed signals that Taeyong has carelessly thrown at his direction. It's as if he's expecting Jaehyun to get used to their routine and to the way he expresses himself.

Jaehyun is too used to being straightforward, too  consumed within the passion of his relationships that he easily burns out at the end of it. But every time he remembers the way Taeyong had stared up at him that same night during their date, eyes filled with so much hopefulness, he feels compelled to learn more about Taeyong.

He'll do anything for Taeyong.

That also means taking his time to admire the other boy on more occasions than one, carefully picking out the tiny, unnoticeable habits that Taeyong does. It doesn't take too long to see the pattern of behavior that Taeyong puts on display for him to observe.

He's quick to notice how Taeyong seems to bite his nails whenever he's nervous (he got called an idiot by Taeyong because he wanted to hold Taeyong's hands so the other boy wouldn't bite his nails anymore).

He apparently smokes in secret (the amount of times he caught Taeyong red-handed while smoking a cigarette because he's stressed over making new songs is too many already).

And lately, Jaehyun finds out that Taeyong wasn't lying when he said that he's obsessed with chocolate. He has stacked up chocolates in his bag and he secretly nibbles on it in the middle of practice.

But despite all that, Taeyong is adorable and sweet — just the sight of his smile can make Jaehyun's heart pound against his chest and all Jaehyun wishes is that he can see that smile for as long as he lives. Taeyong constantly puts on a tough exterior though, mostly because of his stage appearance is built around him being a badass.

So, there are times when Taeyong would unknowingly indulge himself back into the cold image that he projects to everyone else. Jaehyun would be lying if he said that it doesn't hurt when Taeyong gives him the cold shoulder all of a sudden, without any word exchanged between them for days.

He thought it might have been because Taeyong's head is filled with thoughts of his band's upcoming album so he doesn't have time to allow himself to truly enjoy himself and let himself go even for a moment.

Jaehyun, in a desperate attempt to keep holding onto the invisible string between them, tries to understand when Taeyong seems out of it and will randomly snap at him in the middle of the day.

He's stressed, Jaehyun would think whenever Taeyong gets busy and doesn't have time to respond to any of his calls and texts. But it never quite occurred to him that the time when Taeyong accidentally ditched their first date would happen over and over again, to the point that Jaehyun is exhausted from getting kicked out and never getting a proper response from Taeyong when he asks where the other boy is.

All Jaehyun hopes, at the end of the day, is that he's making the right decision to push through with their relationship.

-

"Hey, you okay?" Sicheng pops in, carrying a box of tulips to the counter. Jaehyun is back to the same position he was in three months ago — mouth dry and his head pounding because he drank so much last night and everything hurts at the same time. He doesn't answer Sicheng with words, only gathering enough energy to shake his head but even then, that earns a wince to leave his lips as he clutches his head.

"You look like shit." Doyoung unhelpfully adds in, eyeing the clearly hungover Jaehyun, whose forehead is pressed against the cool countertop to help relieve some of the headache that's still residing in his head.

"Thanks, I know." Jaehyun chokes out, pulling his face away from the counter to run his fingers through his hair, gently patting the strands down before his shoulders drop as the headache comes back in full force.

"Holy shit, you can't work right now." Doyoung's brows furrow in worry, a hand rubbing down Jaehyun's back while Jaehyun attempts to reconnect the broken trail of thoughts he has in his head.

"I-It's fine."

"Why did you get drunk anyway? Your exams are near." Sicheng finally pipes up, digging through his own bag to retrieve some medicine and a bottled water. Jaehyun mumbles a thanks at him, taking them from his hands before he downs them eagerly, allowing a loud and relieved sigh to escape his mouth.

"Uh, I forgot." The headache is only starting to reside but Jaehyun feels much better, compared to minutes ago when he felt like his body was completely jelly and how he would have easily fell off his chair if he ever tried to move.

"Is it because of Taeyong?" Doyoung asks nonchalantly, shifting through the box of tulips for a moment before the realization dawns on him that Jaehyun didn't respond. Jaehyun is flustered, clearly embarrassed while his two friends raise their eyebrows in interest and curiosity at him.

"So... it's Taeyong again? Just like three months ago?" Doyoung snickers but Jaehyun doesn't laugh along nor get even more flustered, a frown only tugs downwards on the corners of his lips at the sound of his friends' words.

"It's different now though."

"How?" Sicheng is gazing at him in all seriousness and Jaehyun feels his throat go dry once more, his hand automatically reaching out to snatch up the bottled water and down the remaining liquid before speaking.

"Well, we're just... having a difficult time right now. I don't know." Jaehyun doesn't really know what to make out of Taeyong's cold actions towards him lately, only for everything to turn right back to normal when Taeyong is sweet to him.

"Really? But he—" Sicheng gets quickly cut off when Doyoung slaps a hand over his mouth, eyes wide in alarm while Jaehyun only squints his eyes at them with a frown making its way on the corners of his lips.

"What?"

"Nothing!" Doyoung says too loudly before he exchanges looks with Sicheng, only pulling away after a moment, as if they had a telepathic conversation. Jaehyun can barely focus though — he's dazed due to the medicine that he ingested just minutes ago, holding onto the edge of the counter as he faces them properly.

"You know," Sicheng starts off carefully, gaze shifting swiftly to Doyoung before he nods his head, turning his attention back to a confused Jaehyun, "you should head back to your dorm."

"Mm, Sicheng and I can just stay behind and work on your shift." Doyoung speaks out, the worry is evident on his facial expression. Jaehyun doesn't have the energy to argue back, shoulders dropping as he nods his head silently, taking his bag and slings it over his shoulder.

"Thanks, guys. I owe you both." If there's anything that Doyoung and Sicheng said, Jaehyun didn't pay any attention to them anymore since he's swift enough to slip out of his flower shop. His steps are quick — he's too eager to get back to his dorm as soon as possible and just sleep the day away. He's lucky that he doesn't have any classes today, he can't really handle being hungover and barely awake early in the morning.

The thought of sinking back into his greatly washed sheets is the only thing that can keep him walking towards his dorm right now. He thinks that there's nothing that can stop him right now—

_Oh, wow._

His breath hitches as he makes his first step in the hallway of his dorm floor. There are pink roses taped on the wall, leading all the way up to his room, which is at the farthest end of the hallway.

He's careful to approach the flowers, fingers grazing along the soft petals before he notices the tiny notes written on them. His heart feels like it's going to flip out of his chest once he gently takes off the clear tape, cradling the rose in his hands. He's very careful not to accidentally prick his fingers on the thorns as he carefully shifts through the petals. He doesn't really want to pull them out of the rose just to read them.

_You have the sweetest laugh in this whole world._

_I would do anything just to make you smile._

_You make me the happiest._

In all of Jaehyun's romantic experiences, there was not even a single person who did something out of the ordinary, who pulled the strings to make his heart flutter like this.

So of course, no one can blame him for having the biggest smile on his lips when he slowly walks his way to his dorm room, occasionally halting his steps to go through petals and read the heartfelt notes written on them.

His heart is a wreck, hammering too wildly against his ribcage once he finally arrives at his door. His hand stills for a moment on the doorknob, gathering all his remaining courage to turn it before carefully pushing it open.

His jaw drops when Taeyong appears with a bouquet of light red carnations in his hands and his smile looks awfully gorgeous. Jaehyun can't stop his heart from pounding wildly against his chest as he shuts the door, covering his mouth with his palm to hide the grin on his lips.

"Don't worry, I didn't drop this on the sidewalk nor did I pick this up from the pavement." Jaehyun laughs and his heart is filled with so much adoration for Taeyong, who's staring at him with the most beautiful smile Jaehyun has ever witnessed in his entire life.

"I missed you," Taeyong is the first one to break the silence and he puts down the bouquet on the couch, taking the roses from Jaehyun's hands before he wraps his arms around the taller male, "so, so much."

"I missed you too." Jaehyun laughs, the headache finally disappearing as he slips his arms around Taeyong's smaller frame, kissing his forehead sweetly.

"How much?"

"As much as you did." Jaehyun murmurs and Taeyong elicits a soft chuckle, hands cupping the other boy's cheeks before he leans in. He halts for a moment, lips almost brushing against his before a smile breaks out on his pair. Their lips pressed against each other's and Jaehyun would be lying if he said that his chest didn't explode that day.

Taeyong's lips are soft — incredibly soft and taste like candies and it doesn't even take a second thought for Jaehyun to fall all over again for him.

They break away, cheeks flushed and a laugh both leaving their lips before they drown themselves in each other's warm embrace.

Jaehyun thinks that being in Taeyong's arms like this, perfectly content and happy, is the best decision he has ever did.

-

Well, _maybe_ Jaehyun wants to take it back.

No, he actually wants to take it back.

He should have seen it coming — the universe hates his guts after all. Does he always have to suffer to pay the price of even experiencing a silver of happiness?

It didn't happen all too quickly and maybe that's the reason why it hurts too much. If this was one of those fast-paced relationships that Jaehyun had in the past, maybe it wouldn't hurt too much.

But Lee Taeyong is different.

He always is, since from the very start.

It didn't burn out swiftly — it was a painful, slow kind of burn. The kind that makes you wonder what's taking so long. The kind that makes you think if there's an end to this.

It started from late replies.

Jaehyun didn't mind at all at first. He's busy with his studies too and he knows that Taeyong is too busy working on their new album. But Jaehyun makes sure to take at least ten minutes out of his time to shoot a message to Taeyong, telling him about his day and how much he misses the older boy.

Taeyong usually replies a day later — too many exclamation points ending his sentences, paired with so many I miss you too messages written out for him. Even something as simple as that can make his heart beat faster than ever.

But of course, their routine fades away with time — Taeyong replies once in a while now and his replies are always short, monotonous. Jaehyun is scared of himself more though.

Is he scaring away Taeyong with how much he clings to him? Is Taeyong annoyed at him now? Should he stop? They're not even dating officially yet but Jaehyun already has fears clutched tightly in his fists.

Their dates soon start to end with hey, I'm sorry but I can't go and maybe we can go next time. That is, if he's lucky that Taeyong can find the time to fumble for his phone and send a message. Most of the time, after an hour or two, he figures out the message by himself and leaves their chosen restaurant or café. He doesn't blame Taeyong though, he tries to understand over and over again.

But the frustration is building up through his veins and all he fears is that one day, he'll just burst.

All he hopes is that day won't ever arrive.

-

Hushed voices are heard inside the shop when Jaehyun steps in one day. He just finished up his exams and he's hoping that he can pick up more shifts so he can earn some extra shifts from Taeil.

He doesn't expect Yuta and Sicheng to be there, laughing quietly over something. It's only the sound of the bell when Jaehyun pushed the door that cuts through their conversation, their attention directed at the doorway.

"Jae, hey." Yuta speaks first, lips curved upwards into that same friendly smile that he wears around the younger boy. Yuta is actually quite sweet and friendly, despite how snarky and sassy he can appear at times — it did take Jaehyun a while to get used to having him around Sicheng, clinging tightly on his arm or waist. Just like now, he's behind the counter and he's clinging to Sicheng's waist with an arm wrapped comfortably around it.

Jaehyun barely has the energy to smile back so he nods his head, gaze flying to Sicheng, who looks at him with a worried frown on his pair. Jaehyun doesn't look his best these days — he feels horrible most of the time and it soon reflected on his features. Dark circles underneath his eyes and lips almost always curled downwards to resemble a small frown.

"You okay? Maybe you should take some rest. I can cover your shift." Sicheng says, eyebrows furrowed but Jaehyun shakes his head firmly. Yuta senses the atmosphere immediately and he pulls away from Sicheng, not before dropping a kiss on his cheek.

"I'll see you later, okay? Don't forget our dinner date." Yuta whispers but Jaehyun hears it all too well, watching as the blond-haired boy squeezes Sicheng's hand in his hold. Sicheng tries not to smile too widely but he fails all too together, eyes crinkling as a grin makes its way on his pair.

"Of course."

"Okay. Nice seeing you by the way, Jae." With that, Yuta flashes both of them a smile, making his way out of the shop. Jaehyun's heart aches at the interaction of the couple in front of him a while ago. It's been too long since he had a proper conversation with Taeyong and all he ends up doing nowadays is waiting for his phone to light up and have Taeyong call him first.

"How is Taeyong doing?" Sicheng breaks the silence as he moves around the shop, fixing up the flowers that are on display while Jaehyun drops his bag by his feet, shoulders dropping.

"He's busy." His reply is short and to the point but Jaehyun hates hearing those words, cringing as he turns away to go behind the counter, shifting through the amount of orders they have.

"Oh, really? But... his band is not even going around and doing gigs nowadays." Jaehyun frowns even more at the news. If that's the case then is Taeyong avoiding him? Did he do something wrong?

"He says he's busy with the new album."

"He never has time to even tell you what he's doing?"

"No," Jaehyun's voice falters and he heaves a deep sigh, quietly closing the book filled with their schedules, "he doesn't tell me anything nowadays."

It's silent and Jaehyun almost gets lost in his trail of thoughts (which are, of course, all about Taeyong) again, eyes focused on the scenery outside the shop but Sicheng's voice shakes him out of his daydream again.

"You should talk to him," Sicheng shifts through the bouquet that he made — a cluster of lily of the valley, apple blossoms, and sweet William flowers — before gently putting it down on the counter with a softened expression on his face. Jaehyun pursues his lips at the thought of it before he ends up wrinkling his nose and letting out another sigh.

"I should, shouldn't I?" The answer only comes in a form of Sicheng quietly nodding his head before tilting it to the side. Jaehyun opens his mouth but Sicheng is quick to beat him to it.

"I'll cover your shift, don't worry."

"Thank you." Jaehyun finally allows himself to smile at his friend, feet already leading their way out of the shop as his hand reaches down to clutch the strap of his bag, slinging it over his shoulder.

Maybe he can finally have the answers he's been searching for the past weeks.

-

Jaehyun is nervous — his stomach is churning uncomfortably and he's generally afraid of the confrontation that he might face once he talks to Taeyong. But if they continue on like this, Jaehyun would be just desperately holding onto a string of their unknown relationship, without knowing if Taeyong will ever feel the exact same way about him.

He lets his gaze trail along the wall, noting how the wallpaper is starting to peel away at the top but he doesn't comment on it. His steps are slow and calculated, counting every movement of his feet as he makes his way to the third to the last door.

He's been here here already, countless times in fact but now, he feels different. He hesitates once he stands in front of the wooden door, fist raising slowly before he knocks his knuckles against it a few times.

There's a thud of footsteps and hushed whispers coming from the other side of the door before it flies open. Jaehyun can feel his breath is taken away when Taeyong appears in front of him.

He dyed his hair again — a shade of brown and he looks softer, gentler, compared to the time when he saw him before.

"Jaehyun." His voice is still sweet as ever and Jaehyun badly wants to hold out his arms and pull him in for a tight embrace. He didn't know that he missed Taeyong this much until he finally saw the older boy.

"We need to talk." The words are difficult to say but Jaehyun feels proud of himself because he didn't choose to swallow them this time. Taeyong arches a brow, turning his attention briefly to his apartment before he lets his gaze run back to Jaehyun as hesitation makes its way on his facial expression.

"Now? But I still have a lot—"

"Please," The words are getting harder to push through so Jaehyun needs to say them now before he loses the strings of courage he has stored in his chest, "we really need to talk."

Taeyong is silent, lips pursued into a straight line before he quietly gestures the other boy to follow him inside his apartment. Jaehyun gratefully steps inside, taking a quick glance around the place before he finds his way to the couch, making himself comfortable on it.

"So, what's the important thing that you need to talk about so urgently that you had to disturb me?" The shift in Taeyong's voice, laced with obvious annoyance and frustration, is clear enough and that did send a shard to Jaehyun's chest. Does Taeyong really hate him now?

"What are we?" That question is the one that made Taeyong halt completely, his eyes wide in confusion while Jaehyun digs his nails on his jeans, barely able to hold Taeyong's piercing gaze on him.

"What?"

"What are we? What am I to you?" Taeyong looks baffled, not even hiding the surprise written on his face before it contorts into another annoyed expression, just like before.

"You really came down here just for that?"

"Yes, I did." Jaehyun grits his teeth and digs his nails even more on his jean, huffing out a frustrated sigh.

"That's idiotic," Taeyong scoffs, shaking his head before rubbing his temples with his palm, "why are you even asking me that? You know the answer to that already."

"I wouldn't be asking if I knew the answer." Jaehyun raises his head and meets Taeyong's gaze. He can see the shift of emotions travelling through the older boy's eyes but he doesn't say anything about it at all.

"Do you still like me?" Jaehyun holds back himself from lashing out and chooses to let that question out, his heart starting to beat wildly against his chest again.

"Of course." Taeyong's voice drops into a whisper, dropping next to Jaehyun on the couch as he rubs his face with his hands, the exhaustion is starting to show up on his face.

"I don't feel it anymore." Jaehyun murmurs, his hand almost reaching out to hold Taeyong's fingers in his own but he stops himself mid-way, choosing to put his hand between them. He doesn't miss the hurt look that passes through Taeyong's expression for a split second before he became cold again.

"What do you want me to do then?" The annoyance is popping out in his tone again and that fuels the fire of their silent fight. Jaehyun clutches the seat of the couch, nails digging onto the material before he frowns deeply.

"I just want you to reach out more."

"I am doing that."

"No, you're not! You leave my messages unanswered and you barely bother to even let me know that you're ditching our dates. I always have to be the one starting up a conversation with you because as far as I've noticed, you don't exert that much effort to reply. Should I even expect you to start talking to me again?" Jaehyun doesn't even realize that his voice got louder — with one look at Taeyong's torn expression, he knows that he hit the spot.

"Where do you see us going? Do you even want to date me for real? Or am I supposedly just someone that you wanted to play around with because I don't know, you got bored?"

"Get out." Taeyong's words are firm. Steady. Jaehyun hates it though so he pushes more, despite knowing that he can easily piss off Taeyong.

"Why can't you answer any of my questions?"

"Get out, Jaehyun." Jaehyun clenches his jaw, staring back at Taeyong before he can feel his shoulders drop in defeat. He's wrong for coming here and expect to get answers. He's wrong about every decision he made that led him down to this very path.

"Fine." It's the final word, the period to their argument and Jaehyun hastily walks out of the apartment, fists clenched tightly with tears blurring his vision. He hopes that maybe Taeyong will call him to come back — despite being angry, he knows that his mind is still clear enough to forgive the other and listen to his explanation.

But his footsteps are the only sounds that resounded in the hallway and every step he takes away from the apartment, a new crack hits his heart.

Maybe he's wrong about Taeyong all this time.

-

"Hyung." Jungwoo heaves a sigh, watching as Jaehyun snuggles up on the couch, pillows placed strategically around his space so if he ever falls asleep in any position, it would be soft.

It's a typical post-break-up move — ice cream container in his hand while some romantic movie plays on the screen. It happened in every girlfriend and boyfriend that he broke up with and honestly, Jungwoo should be used to it. But Taeyong is obviously someone different, not the typical kind of break up. Hell, they didn't even date officially and yet, Jaehyun is treating this like some sort of break up.

"Hey, Jungwoo, can you grab that box of pizza in the kitchen? Thanks!"

"No." Jungwoo shakes his head firmly, dropping his bag by his feet before approaching the older boy laying on the couch. Jaehyun has already prepared himself — he knows that Jungwoo is going to throw in another lecture about his behavior so before the younger male can even say anything, he grabs a pillow and covers his face with it.

"You can't say anything! I have a pillow!"

"Oh no, that sounds so threatening." Jungwoo says with a monotonous and dull voice, easily snatching up the pillow from Jaehyun's hold before dropping it by the floor. He has to push the other pillows ("What the hell, Jungwoo? Those are mine!" "What the heck are you saying? You stole these from my bed!") on the ground before finally seating himself comfortably on the couch.

"I won't talk to you because you threw away my pillows."

"You mean, _my_ pillows."

"No, they're mine."

Jungwoo rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest, snatching up the remote instead and shuts off the television.

"Hey!" Jaehyun rises up from the couch, accidentally dropping the container of ice cream on the floor. Some of the melted ice cream dripped onto the floor and Jaehyun emits a groan of frustration, grabbing it off the floor and uses a cloth nearby to wipe off the mess.

"Hyung, it's been two weeks."

"And?" Jaehyun shoots back almost immediately, putting aside the cloth and container before sitting up from the couch, stretching his arms and rubbing his face tiredly afterwards. Jungwoo only gazes at him with a softened expression layered on his face before he elicits another sigh of exhaustion.

"This isn't good for you. It's unhealthy and... it's kind of painful to see you like this."

"I'll be fine." Jaehyun tries to dismiss the topic with a wave of his hand before Jungwoo is surprisingly stubborn today, brows furrowed with a frown already placed on the edges of his lips.

"Taeyong might be worried about you." Jungwoo's words earn a mocking laugh from Jaehyun, eyes rolling afterwards, clearly annoyed just at the sound of his name.

"Taeyong? If he's so worried about me then he would have contacted me already," Jaehyun's gaze flies his phone briefly before he lets out a sigh, head resting on the couch as he glances at the ceiling, "but he never did. He never texted me or called me."

Jungwoo doesn't say anything — his lips are sewn shut and he doesn't have any words left to say to the older boy. He doesn't even know how to properly dissect the situation.

"Should I apologize to him? But if I do that, he might think that he's the right one between us."

"Maybe... he's scared," Jungwoo finally speaks up, voice turning into a murmur as he directs his gaze to his hands, "to contact you. Maybe he knows that he messed up but he doesn't know how to apologize."

Jungwoo does make sense but Jaehyun is too stubborn to even admit that. But the thought of Taeyong struggling to talk to him first — hand picking up his own phone and almost dialing his number before deciding to drop it back down — is a thought that he can see clearly. Taeyong does have difficulty in grasping his emotions so he tends to have impulsive decisions from time to time.

"But what do I do? Do I have to wait for him all the time? Do I have to initiate the conversation every time?" Jaehyun grabs one of the pillow that fell on the floor just a moment ago, quietly hugging it against his chest. Everything hurts all over again — he really likes Taeyong but this relationship between them is founded on shaky grounds. Waves of doubt and constant fear that Taeyong will suddenly up and leave him one day washes over him every day and maybe he just needs a sign from the older boy that he still likes Jaehyun the same way.

"Am I wrong, Jungwoo?" Jungwoo keeps quiet, contemplating for a second before he resolves to allow a sigh to escape past his pair, gaze travelling to the ceiling.

"I don't have a say in this, you know that."

"I need an outsider's perspective." Jungwoo emits a light-hearted chuckle, staring up at the ceiling before he switches his attention to Jaehyun, a softened expression on his face.

"Both of you didn't have a proper talk. Maybe Taeyong was overwhelmed, especially since he's stressed over their new album and he didn't expect you to just come over and talk about your feelings. You said it yourself — he's not great at handling his emotions."

"Should I talk to him?"

"I think so," Jungwoo pursues his lips into a thin line, humming thoughtfully, "just ask him what he wants to happen between you two. Now that he knows your thoughts, maybe he can give you an answer now."

"But what happens if... he still doesn't have an answer?" The silence hangs over them like a heavy blanket and it's suffocating, honestly. Jungwoo flashes a sad smile, fingers reaching out to gently pat his shoulder comfortingly.

"I think you know the answer to that already."

Jaehyun opens his mouth, ready to let the words tumble past his lips when Jungwoo's phone suddenly lit up, distracting both of them from the matter at hand. He picks up the call almost immediately and Jaehyun doesn't have to second guess that it was Yukhei who called, seeing the way Jungwoo's face practically brightened up as soon as he recognized his voice.

Jungwoo gestures to his phone with an apologetic expression but Jaehyun hurriedly waves his hand, dismissing the topic with a shake of his head and a smile. Jungwoo gazes at him before he holds out an arm, wrapping it comfortably around Jaehyun and silently pats his back.

He breaks the embrace and mouths good luck at him before he stands up and walks to his room, chattering animatedly with Yukhei on the phone. Jaehyun stares a little longer on the television before deciding to turn it on again, a simple distraction from the thoughts that are evading his head.

But when he finds himself wrapped around his sheets late at night, fingers swiping through his phone and staring at Taeyong's contact name on his screen. His thumb hovers over his name, ready to call him and say that he misses him but he holds himself back at the last minute, locking his phone instead.

Jungwoo's words recite themselves in his head over and over again, his stomach churning once more in an uncomfortable manner. He doesn't want to think about it but Jungwoo was right.

If Taeyong still doesn't have an answer then he knows what kind of ending he'll get.

-

"Another wedding?" Jaehyun murmurs, flipping through the details of the flowers that are to be sent for the big day. Taeil hums as he fixes up another bouquet of stargazer lilies before putting them aside, ready to be delivered later on.

"Yeah, it's actually a good friend of mine. They're all right with me bringing three more people so I think I'll just drag you, Sicheng, and Doyoung with me."

"No thanks," Jaehyun feels sick to his stomach. He met Taeyong twice, in different weddings and he can't deny that those memories alone can make his heart flutter and break at the same time.

"Why not? You usually volunteer to do these kind of things."

"I'm just not in the mood," Jaehyun whispers, trying to avoid the possible confrontation that might happen now. Taeil is silent, gaze softening as he taps the counter.

"When Chaeyeon cheated on you, you still went to the wedding that night."

"That wasn't my choice."

"But still, you could have left the wedding as soon as you delivered the flowers. What made you stay? I doubt that it's because of the guests, you barely knew anyone there except for your roommate." Taeil turns his head to properly look at Jaehyun, an eyebrow arching.

"I don't know," And it was the truth — Jaehyun honestly didn't know why he lingered in that place. It certainly wasn't because of the alcohol, especially since he had Jungwoo bring it out for him early in the reception and the bride doesn't want any of them drinking any alcoholic beverages.

Maybe because he was hoping for something — he was completely lost in love that time and then, Taeyong just came in and swept him off his feet that night.

Jaehyun heaves a sigh and stares at his palms before returning Taeil's gaze with a small, contemplative frown playing on the edges of his lips.

"Just tell me tomorrow if you want to go."

"I want to go." Jaehyun says hurriedly and Taeil flashes him a smile, eyes crinkling as he pats Jaehyun's cheek fondly.

"You'll be okay, I promise."

Jaehyun really does hope it's true.

-

The suit is once again leaving him breathless — the kind that gives him the thoughts of can't-breathe-in-this-damn-suit but also the kind that makes you nervous when you're expecting something horrible to open. The couple that got married are both sweet and accommodating to them through out the whole wedding and reception. He did remember meeting the groom before when he picked up a bouquet for his partner, presumably the same day when he proposed too.

Jaehyun gazes at them from his table, his stare softening as he watches them have their first dance, their soft laughter is in tune with the gentle music that's coming from the speakers. Jaehyun wants that kind of love — he wants that kind where he doesn't have any room for doubts anymore. Where he doesn't fear anything at all because he has someone he loves by his side for a lifetime.

As idiotic as it sounds to him, he can only see one person in his life that has the ability to fill in that empty void residing in his chest. But he's not exactly sure if that same person can still return what he's expecting from him.

"The band's going to perform later." He can hear Sicheng quietly whisper to Doyoung and Jaehyun finds the nervousness sinking down in his stomach again. It might not be the same band — there are hundreds of bands that are willing to do songs in weddings and it would be stupid of him to assume that it's the same band where—

_Oh._

His breath hitches as he watches a group of boys make their way at the sidelines, carrying guitars and drum sticks. Even if they're only passing at the sides, they're still eye-catching due to their strong stage presence and seeing how they're all suited up — a different look from how they normally dress when they do gigs in clubs.

Despite the fact that all of them are definitely worthy paying his attention to, Jaehyun can't take his eyes off of one boy. His hair is still brown, just like two weeks ago and his bangs fell over his eyes. He really looks younger and gentler tonight and Jaehyun's heart aches so much.

He misses him so, _so_ much. He misses the way the other boy would curl up in his arms while he showers him with kisses on his face. He misses the way he would fall asleep in his arms and Jaehyun would be left running his fingers through his surprisingly soft hair, admiring every curve and slope of his face.

They make their way to the front once the couple finishes their dance and they receive excited applause. They've grown quite famous and they keep earning more and more attention but still, it's not yet enough to earn the whole country's focus on them.

"Jae?" Jaehyun didn't immediately feel the way Sicheng puts a hand over his, the worry making its way through the lines on his face. His eyes are asking if Jaehyun wants to step out for a while since it might be too much but Jaehyun shakes his head, a reassuring smile gracing the corners of his lips.

"I'm fine," Jaehyun gives his hand a squeeze before dropping it with a soft sigh, gaze turning back to the band. Jaehyun turns his head and his breath hitches once more when he meets Taeyong's unwavering stare. There are several people in between of them but their gazes are fixated on each other.

Jaehyun is about to break their impromptu staring contest when Taeyong, all of a sudden, allow the corners of his lips curl up into a small smile. His heart hammers wildly against his ribcage, even when Taeyong has already looked down on his own instrument, fingers lightly running through the strings.

He must be mistaken — maybe it's not him that Taeyong was looking at a while ago. Maybe he recognized another person in this wedding and... it just seems impossible. Taeyong doesn't like him anymore, seeing how easy it was for him to kick Jaehyun out of his apartment without giving even a vague answer.

 _You're always hoping that we make it_  
_You've always wanted to keep my gaze_  
_Well, you're the only one I see_  
_And that's the one thing that won't change_

Jaehyun wants to stay, really, but the more he looks at Taeyong, the more hurt that piles up in his chest. He doesn't have the strength anymore to even gaze at the band playing in front of him. But he's afraid to stand up now and have Taeyong notice how weak he is for feeling like this.

 _You still get my heart racing_  
_You still get my heart racing for you_  
_You still get my heart racing_  
_You still get my heart racing for you_

The seconds are ticking by and every second that he stays here, the sadness slips in more and more. Does Taeyong feel like that for him? Even after all this time?

 _I will never stop choosing you, babe_  
_I'll never get used to you_

The song finally hits the last note and as the crowd erupts into a wild applause for an amazing performance, Jaehyun stands up and finds his way out of the reception hall. He just needs to breathe in some fresh air and right now, everything feels suffocating. He can hear Doyoung, Taeil, and Sicheng calling his name and asking him where he's going but he doesn't answer — he doesn't know the answer anyway.

His feet lead him to a breathtakingly beautiful outdoor garden but he's too deep in his distress that he can find a way to appreciate the magnificent sight before him. Rows of different flowers — ranging from peonies, sweet peas, to bells of Ireland — are all spread out to create a dazzling group of beauties.

He finds a patch of grass in the middle of the garden and tries to find a way to clear out the ludicrous thoughts settling in his head again. He's idiotic for feeling so much and for letting his feelings take control of his rash decisions.

"Idiot." He huffs out loudly, eyes fluttering shut to let the night breeze take him off to another daydream.

"Who's an idiot?" His eyes fly open in surprise, gaze hurriedly trying to find the intruder hidden within the shadows. He doesn't have to look for too long though — a figure steps out of their dark surroundings but even if Jaehyun catches sight of his soft, brown hair, his heartbeat didn't slow down at all. In fact, his heart starts pounding against his chest but he can't find the strength to look away.

"Hey," Taeyong stares down at him with his lips almost stretched into a smile before he gestures to the patch of grass right beside Jaehyun, "is it okay if I stay here with you?"

Jaehyun gulps down the lump in his throat and it takes him a few moments to find his words again.

"Of course." His voice comes out soft and unwavering and the way Taeyong smiles so brightly at his direction is enough to make his heart flutter. He missed seeing that smile on him — he looks awfully gorgeous with that kind of expression on his face.

Taeyong slips past the flowers, carefully taking a seat beside Jaehyun before he hugs his legs against his chest. Jaehyun finds himself admiring the older boy once again — his beauty is just so heavenly and ethereal and Jaehyun can't search for a distraction or a reason to turn his gaze somewhere else.

They stay silent with Jaehyun quietly admiring him while Taeyong has his gaze fixated on the night skies. The moonlight hits his features in such a breathtaking view and Jaehyun can feel himself going breathless.

"I'm sorry," Taeyong speaks softly, breaking the calming atmosphere between them, fingers grazing along the grass in front of them, "I really am."

"I wanted to call you but... I was scared that you might be mad at me."

So, Jungwoo was right. Taeyong really is scared of initiating the contact first and Jaehyun feels upset at himself for getting mad at the other boy. Of course Taeyong would afraid, especially when they just had a first real fight.

"I was mad at you," Jaehyun doesn't want to find a reason to lie anymore, gaze boring straight the side of Taeyong's face, "but not anymore."

"Still, I shouldn't have acted like that. I'm sorry." Jaehyun feels his heart swelling with so much love and adoration for him and the more he hears Taeyong speaks, the more he wants to hold him close and just kiss him senselessly.

"Taeyong, what am I to you?" Jaehyun blurts out, cheeks reddening but he doesn't take back his words, patiently waiting for the male to give him an answer, even if it'll take him a whole night. Taeyong allows one of the corners of his pair to tug upwards into a gentle smile as he stares down on the grass.

"You mean a lot to me, Jae. You really do. I was just afraid because I feel so much for you and... I don't know, what if I don't live up to your expectations?" Taeyong spares him a glance, brows furrowing slightly as a sad frown begins to curve on his lips.

"You had so many relationships that are probably amazing and I only had flings and very short relationships. I never felt like this with anyone and I've been trying to push my feelings down but I can't," Taeyong pursues his lips into a thin line, fingers curling around a few blades of grass and lightly tugs on them, dropping them back on the ground, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize." Jaehyun says breathlessly, his heart still beating wildly against his ribcage as he reaches out to cup Taeyong's cheeks in his hands. Taeyong immediately zips his mouth, wide eyes staring back at him and Jaehyun can feel his heart melting slowly at the sight of him.

"I should be the one who's supposed to apologize. I should have given you time to figure out everything and I shouldn't have pushed for an answer when you weren't ready yet." Jaehyun pulls him close and Taeyong, as if out of habit, curls up in his arms and snuggles close against his chest, arms wrapped around Jaehyun's waist. They don't even have to look at each other to know that both of them are relieved and elated to be in each other's arms again.

"I'll wait for you, Yong. You don't have to push through with this now."

"No," Taeyong shakes his head stubbornly and pulls away, only to gaze up at him, "I... I want this. I want us to happen. I don't have control over my feelings anymore."

Jaehyun keeps quiet, analyzing every emotion that runs through Taeyong's eyes and he's knocked out breathless by the sincerity and beauty he holds within him. He wants to stay like this, holding Taeyong in his arms, for a long time. He doesn't mind doing this forever too.

"Are you sure? You really want to be mine for real?"

"Yes." Taeyong has the widest smile on his face and Jaehyun wants to kiss him.

And so he does it.

He leans in, lips brushing ever so lightly against Taeyong's before he captures them in a gentle and slow kiss. He can feel the way Taeyong smiles against his lips as he responds to it, their cheeks warm and their chests pressed against each other's.

Taeyong pulls away, cheeks flushed and Jaehyun couldn't help but admire how pretty red looks on Taeyong's cheeks. He leans in to leave another kiss on Taeyong's lips.

And another.

And another.

And another one.

Soon enough, he's leaving kisses all over Taeyong's face and god, the way Taeyong laughs and holds onto him tight can make his heart flip out of his chest and drop straight to his feet.

They break away after a moment and Taeyong snuggles in, face pressed against the crook of his neck while Jaehyun has his hand down the smaller male's back, gently running his hand down it. His heartbeat is back to being calm and he feels so at home with him. He doesn't want to trade this feeling with anything else that this world has to offer.

"Hey, Jae."

"Yeah?"

"Isn't it such a weird coincidence that we keep meeting at weddings?" Taeyong breaks away but keeps his arms wrapped loosely around Jaehyun's torso, the corners of his eyes crinkling up as he grins.

"We first met at the end of a wedding, the second one was when we were trying to search for each other, and now, here we are." Jaehyun lists their encounters and Taeyong lets a chuckle escape past his pair.

"Do you think this means something special?" Taeyong stares up at him, a hand cupping Jaehyun's cheek before he leans in to press a soft, featherlight kiss on his lips. When he pulled away, he has the sweetest smile that Jaehyun has ever seen in his life.

"I think so."

-

"Jaehyun, those ties basically look the same." Doyoung frowns and Jaehyun shakes his head stubbornly, thrusting them to Sicheng instead to get his opinion.

"They're made of different materials!"

"Whatever, it looks the same to me."

"I can't trust either of you." Jaehyun huffs out loudly, putting them down on his bed. The creak of his door opening and the sound of his footsteps against the floor catches his attention, turning around just when Taeyong throws himself in his arms, laughing loudly.

"Hey, baby. I missed you!" Taeyong peppers kisses all over his face and Jaehyun elicits a chuckle, caging him in his arms and gives him a gentle squeeze before putting him on the floor. Taeyong has a smile playing on his lips as he notices Doyoung and Sicheng, who look unamused at the sudden public display of affection.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Jaehyun called us over and asked us to pick between two ties that look the same."

"They're different." Jaehyun repeats like a broken record and Doyoung rolls his eyes before standing up to pat Taeyong's shoulder.

"We're heading out now. We'll see you guys again once you figure out what kind of flowers you want for your wedding." Doyoung and Sicheng finally curl their mouths into a grin as they bid goodbye to the couple, exiting the room.

Jaehyun grabs the two ties and slips them back into the drawer before taking a seat on the edge of the bed, pulling Taeyong next to him.

"I missed you today."

"You always do." Taeyong circles his arms comfortably around Jaehyun while the latter wraps his arms around his waist, kissing the top of his head.

"Of course I do."

"We've been together for five years and you still miss me every day," Taeyong says softly as a laugh leaves past his pair, "it's adorable."

"And I'm going to get married to you soon so you'll have to deal with it for a lifetime."

"Oh no, sounds like a nightmare." Taeyong jokes around, pecking Jaehyun on the cheek once he sees the younger boy jut out his lower lip to resemble a pout.

"Just kidding, you know that I'm looking forward to that because it's a dream come true to get married to such an amazing man like you." Jaehyun softens up and he leans in, dropping a quick peck on his partner's forehead as he squeezes him in his arms.

"I'm so glad that I met you at that wedding."

"Yeah, I'm so glad that you got drunk at that wedding and we met because for some reason, I thought that drunk you was amusing and charming. Now, we have a cute story to tell our kids about how we met."

"Stop teasing me." Jaehyun grumbles but Taeyong only laughs, poking his cheek.

"At least you didn't puke. Or else, that story would be more embarrassing." Instead of another teasing laugh that leaves his lips, Taeyong yelps loudly as Jaehyun tackles him to the bed. They both end up rolled up in the sheets and laughing too loudly as they hold each other close.

"I love you." Jaehyun speaks, leaving a kiss on Taeyong's pouty lips. Taeyong stares up at him for a moment, taking in the whole moment and everything just makes sense now. A smile forms on his lips and he reaches out, pressing another kiss on his lips.

"I love you too. Always."

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading! feel free to talk to me in [twitter.](http://twitter.com/jenosaints)


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